Apparatus to form fibrous laps from webs

ABSTRACT

An apparatus to form a fibrous lap from webs, comprising a conveyor to deliver the webs, and a mechanism to lay the webs onto a conveyer withdrawing the ready lap. The web laying mechanism includes two vertical conveyers mounted on a rocking frame, and positively rotated compacting rolls mounted on a carriage which is hingedly connected to the rocking frame, and moves along the withdrawing conveyer.

Unite States atent r Sillaots et a1.

1 1 Oct. 22, 1974 APPARATUS TO FORM FIIBROUS ILAPS FROM WEBS Related US. Application Data Continuation of Ser. No. 93,282, Nov. 27, 1970, abandoned.

11.5. CI. 19/163 Int. Cl lDll lh 111/04 Field of Search 19/161, 163

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1905 Schoficld et a1. 19/163 2,710,992 6/1955 Goldman t. 19/161 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 78,060 9/1919 Austria 19/163 24,319 12/1962 Germany 19/163 525,796 6/1921 France .r 19/163 Great Britain 19/163 Primary Examiner' -Dorsey Newton Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Waters, Roditi, Schwartz and Nissen [5 7 1 ABSTRACT An apparatus to form a fibrous lap from webs, c0mprising a conveyor to deliver the webs, and a mechanism to lay the webs onto a conveyer withdrawing the ready lap. The web laying mechanism includes two vertical conveyers mounted on a rocking frame, and positively rotated compacting rolls mounted on a carriage which is hingedly connected to the rocking frame, and moves along the withdrawing conveyer.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 93,282 filed Nov. 27, l970, now abandoned.

The present invention'relates to textile industry, and more specifically to devices for forming fibrous laps from webs.

The present invention can be most successfully utilized to form laps used in the production of nonwoven materials.

Known at present are devices for forming a fibrous lap from webs, comprising a conveyers to deliver the webs, and a mechanism to lay these webs onto a conveyer withdrawing the ready lap. This mechanism is made in the form of an endless conveying belt passing about a plurality of movable and immovable horizontal rolls, thus forming a two-storey conveyer. The twostorey conveyer reciprocates along the withdrawing conveyer in order to lay the webs into a lap (see for example, a British Pat. No. 904,527, cl. 120 'lb)).

The two-storey conveyer causes multiple folds of the belting, and hence, of the web, thus deforming the latter and deteriorating the lap quality. Besides, these folds impose higher requirements upon the physical and mechanical properties of the belting (its elasticity, smoothness, strength, use of antistatic plastic to make the belt, etc.).

What is more, the lap is not compacted in the process of its forming, which reduces its strength, and makes difficult the process of manufacturing nonwoven materials.

The conventional apparatus is also complex in design, and has relatively large overall dimensions.

The basic object of the invention is to provide an apparatus to form a fibrous lap from webs with such a design of the web laying mechanism, thatit should secure a lap without any folds and with a definite density and thickness, and it should have a simple construction and reduced size, at the same time ensuring higher lap quality.

With this object in view, in the apparatus to form a fibrous lap, comprising a conveyer to deliver webs, and a mechanism to lay the webs onto a conveyer withdrawing the ready lap, the web laying mechanism ineludes, according to the invention, two vertical conveyers mounted on a swinging frame, and disposed at the outlet end of the delivery conveyer, a clearance being provided between them to let through the web, and positively rotated compacting rolls mounted on a carriage, which is hingcdly connected to the swinging frame, and moves along the withdrawing conveyer.

In the case of using belt conveyers, the frame swinging axle should be located in the plane of the drum axles of the delivery conveyer, tangentially to the outlet drum.

The carriage can be made adjustable in height. The clearance between the vertical conveyers can also be made adjustable. For a better understanding of the invcntion considered below is a particular exemplary embodiment thereof with references to the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the apparatus according to the invention, side view;

FIG. 2 same, front view;

FlG. 3 view along arrow A in FlG. 2.

The lap forming apparatus comprises a feeding conveyer 1 (FIG. 1) to deliver webs? 2, andtwo vertical conveyers 3 mounted at the outlet end of conveyer 1. Between these conveyers 3 there is a clearance to let through webs 2 coming from conveyer l. Conveyers 3 are mounted on a frame 5 swinging about an axle 4. Axle 4 is disposed in the plane of the axles of drums 6 of conveyer 1, tangentially to the outlet drum 6. Such disposition of axle 4 precludes deformation of web 2. The clearance between conveyers 3 is adjustable, for which purpose frame 5 is made of two tubular parts telescopically connected to each other.

The belts of conveyers 3 are driven by means of two pairs of gears 7 and 8, whereof one gear 7 is mounted on a cardan shaft 9 (FIG. 2) which. is rotated by a drive sprocket 10. Frame 5 is swung by any conventional mechanism, say, a crank gear (not shown). Axle 4 of frame 5 is securedin side plates 1.1.

Located under conveyers 3 are positively rotated compacting rolls 12, between which the webs are fed, and which are mounted on a carriage 13. The latter is connected to the swinging frame 5 through a hinge 14 located in slot 15 (FIG. 3) of carriage l3.

Owing to the hinge joint of frame 5 with carriage 13 the latter moves along a conveyer 16 (FIG. 1) which withdraws the ready lap 17. Carriage 13 is made adjustable in height, for which purpose it is mounted on a rack 18 moving along guides 19. Such adjustment is necessary to secure the specified density of the lap being formed.

The compacting rolls are rotated by means of two pairs of gears 20 and 21 (FIG. 3), of which gears 20 engage rack 18.

The apparatus acts as follows.

Frame 5 together with conveyers 3 receives rocking movement about axle 4. The rocking movement of frame 3 is converted to reciprocatory movement of carriage 13 with the compacting rolls 12 which are also positively and reversibly rotated from the toothed rack 18 through gears 20 and 21. The drive sprocket 10 through the cardan shaft 9 sets in motion one of conveyers 3, wherefrom through the pairs of gears 7 and 8 movement is transmitted to the other conveyer 3.

Next, conveyers l and 16 are actuated at the same time (their drives not being shown). One of several webs 2 are fed by conveyer 1 into the clearance between conveyers 3. Having passed between conveyers 3 the web comes to under rolls 12. Due to the rocking movement of frame 5 together with conveyers 3, and the reciprocatory movement of carriage 13, the web is laid and sandwiched on conveyer .16, and compacted by rolls 12, thus forming a ready sandwiched lap 17. Then this lap is taken by conveyer 16 to further processing.

What we claim is:

1. An apparatus for continuously forming a fibrous lap from webs, comprising; a delivery conveyor for said webs mounted on a pair of rotatable drums, said drums being located in spaced relationship in a common horizontal plane and fixed against translational movement; a pair of vertical conveyors having the upper ends thereof positioned adjacent the outlet end of said delivery conveyor, said vertical conveyors having a predetermined clearance therebetween so as to facilitate passage therethrough by said webs; a further conveyor located below said vertical conveyors for withdrawing the formed lap of said webs conveyed between said verframe, said carriage means having a generally vertically extending slot formed therein for receiving said projecting portion so as to hingedly connect said carriage means to said oscillating frame whereby, during rocking motion of said frame about said axis there is relative vertical movement between said carriage means and the lower end of said vertical conveyors and said carriage means is movable in the same direction as said withdrawing conveyor. 

1. An apparatus for continuously forming a fibrous lap from webs, comprising; a delivery conveyor for said webs mounted on a pair of rotatable drums, said drums being located in spaced relationship in a common horizontal plane and fixed against translational movement; a pair of vertical conveyors having the upper ends thereof positioned adjacent the outlet end of said delivery conveyor, said vertical conveyors having a predetermined clearance therebetween so as to facilitate passage therethrough by said webs; a further conveyor located below said vertical conveyors for withdrawing the formed lap of said webs conveyed between said vertical conveyors; an oscillating frame mounting said vertical conveyors and being rockable relative to an axis laying in the plane of the geometrical axes of said drums at a tangent to the outlet end of said delivery conveyor and along said withdrawing conveyor for laying said webs on said lastmentioned conveyor in the logitudinal direction thereof; a pair of positively rotated compacting rolls; carRiage means mounting said compacting rolls for horizontal movement below said vertical conveyor; hinge means having a projecting portion being fastened to the lower end of said oscillating frame, said carriage means having a generally vertically extending slot formed therein for receiving said projecting portion so as to hingedly connect said carriage means to said oscillating frame whereby, during rocking motion of said frame about said axis there is relative vertical movement between said carriage means and the lower end of said vertical conveyors and said carriage means is movable in the same direction as said withdrawing conveyor. 